MLCs demand that government make caste census public

Members in the Karnataka Legislative Council demanded the state government to make the contents of the socio-economic survey public at the earliest.

Member Nanjundi Vishwakarma raised the issue in the House. He sought to know the population of the Vishwakarma community in the state, through a starred question.

The state government, in its response, stated that there was no exclusive data available on the population of the community. It also said that the 2015 socio-economic survey conducted a census of all communities in the state and its contents are yet to be made public.

Prompted by the government’s response, Nanjundi Vishwakarma and another member A H Vishwanath demanded the government to publish the data of the survey.

Vishwanath said the government had already spent Rs 165 crore on it. However, the successive governments lacked the courage to make it public, he alleged.

In response to their demand, Minister Kota Srinivasa Poojary, the floor leader, said the government was interested in bringing this to a logical conclusion soon. “All the data and documents are with the Backwards Classes Commission. There was an inordinate delay in handing over this report to the state government. I will meet the chief minister and the Commission chairperson and resolve this at the earliest,” Poojary added.